Commercial and consumer products of flexible web-shaped material, such as toilet paper, hand towel paper, kitchen towel paper, industrial wiping paper and nonwoven wiping material, are typically distributed and dispensed in roll form. Small rolls with a diameter of 100 to 150 mm are normally used in households, whereas larger rolls, which often are called jumbo rolls and which can have a diameter of 200 to 400 mm, are utilized in commercial uses, i.e. in offices and in public washrooms etc. The jumbo rolls carry much more flexible web-shaped material than the small household rolls and are correspondingly much heavier. The small household rolls weigh 0.1-0.2 kg and the jumbo rolls weigh from 0.2 to 8.0 kg or even 10 kg and can carry 1500 m of flexible web-shaped material.
Today there are different types of rolls, such as cored rolls, coreless rolls and solid rolls, on the market. These types of rolls have different characteristics, which will be further described below. Traditionally, the cored roll has been predominant on the market, whereas new market trends have introduced the coreless roll as well as the solid roll.
The cored roll, which traditionally has been utilized, is typically produced on a hollow cylindrical core, around which the flexible web-shaped material is rolled up. For example, the hollow cylindrical core may be made of some type of cardboard or plastic material. After finished production, the hollow cylindrical core remains in the cored roll. Thus, the cored roll intended for the end consumer comprises the hollow cylindrical core defining a hollow space at the centre of the roll.
The coreless roll, which has been introduced by new market trends, does not comprise any hollow cylindrical core around which the flexible web-shaped material is wound. However, the coreless roll comprises an opening extending through the centre of the roll. The coreless roll is produced on some type of mandrel belonging to the production equipment. The flexible web-shaped material is rolled up around the mandrel to form the roll and the mandrel is subsequently extracted and recycled after finished up-rolling. During extraction of the mandrel from the roll, an opening is created through the roll. The opening may collapse and assume a deformed shape, such as oval, flattened or star-shaped, during or after withdrawal of the mandrel, but the coreless roll intended for the end consumer still comprises an opening at the centre of the roll. The innermost windings of web-shaped material are normally attached to each other by addition of some water in order to act like a core. However, the central opening of the coreless roll is much smaller in diameter than the diameter of the core of the cored roll. One consequence thereof is, for example, that the coreless roll may comprise more flexible web-shaped material than the cored roll for a given outer diameter. A machine and method for the production of coreless rolls are, for example, described in EP 1268330.
The solid roll, which has been introduced recently on the market, does not comprise any hollow cylindrical core and neither any opening extending through the centre of the roll. The solid roll is not produced on any core, mandrel or the like, but even the innermost part of the roll is filled with flexible web-shaped material during production of the roll. The finished solid roll takes on the appearance of a compact cylinder completely filled with flexible web-shaped material and is essentially homogenous in a cross-section viewed from the side. The density range of the solid roll is 140-380 kg/m3. However, there may be some deviation from the homogenous characteristic due to, for example, technical reasons during manufacturing or due to that a deviation is desired in the centre area. The density range of a centre part having a diameter of 10 mm may, for example, be between 20 kg/m3 less than the other parts of the roll and 20 kg/m3 more than the other parts of the roll. The density of the centre part having a diameter of 10 mm may be measured by unwinding a solid roll such that the remaining part of the solid roll has a diameter of 10 mm and thereafter measuring the volume and weight of the remaining part of the solid roll. Since the solid roll does not have any core or opening at the centre of the roll, the solid roll may comprise more meters of flexible web-shaped material for a given outer diameter compared to the cored and coreless rolls. A machine and method for the production of solid rolls are, for example, described in EP 0580561.
The core of cored rolls has to be taken away and discarded when all flexible web-shaped material has been used. The coreless and solid rolls are more environment friendly than the cored roll since all flexible web-shaped material of the coreless or solid rolls may be used and since they have no core that has to be discarded. In addition, cored rolls are more expensive to manufacture than coreless and solid rolls because of the expense of producing the cores and joining the product to the core.
However, since cored rolls traditionally have been utilized, conventional dispensers used by consumers today are generally suited for cored rolls only. Many conventional dispensers comprise, for example, a spindle or the like on which the roll is to be mounted in a manner similar to ubiquitous bathroom toilet roll dispensers. Such a spindle is arranged to pass through or otherwise penetrate the inner space of the core of the cored roll such that the cored roll may rotate around the spindle. For example, the spindle may be a member of the dispenser being affixed to the dispenser at one end or may be a releasable member of the dispenser being adapted to be inserted into slots, pathways or the like defined in the sides of the dispenser.
Since solid rolls have no opening extending through the roll, a solid roll is not suited for loading in dispensers for cored rolls comprising a spindle or the like to be inserted through the roll. Furthermore, since the central opening in coreless rolls might have assumed a deformed shape, since the diameter of the central opening is less than the diameter of the core of cored rolls and since the diameter of the central opening can vary with air moisture content, it may be difficult to fit a coreless roll into such dispensers. Furthermore, there is a risk that a coreless roll wobbles in such dispensers as material is drawn from the roll.
One way to enable installation and holding in a dispenser of a coreless roll or a solid roll, respectively, is to utilize a dispenser that is specifically configured during its manufacture for loading coreless and/or solid rolls.
One example of a type of dispenser that is specifically configured for holding coreless or solid rolls, respectively, is a disperser having the shape of a trough in which the roll is put. The flexible web-shaped material is fed over the upper edge of the trough or through a slit in the lower part. However, when there is only a few windings left of the solid roll, it might be difficult to get hold of the end of the flexible web-shaped material in such a dispenser and the user may have to pick up the solid roll to find the end of the flexible web-shaped material.
Another example of a type of dispenser that is specifically configured for holding solid rolls is a dispenser that comprises a projection part on at least one dispenser side. Such a dispenser is, for example, disclosed in WO 2004056250. The projection part may be a pin or the like. When a new solid roll is loaded in such a dispenser, the projection part is forced to penetrate between windings of the solid roll. However, in order to be able to use as much as possible of the material of the solid roll, the projection part must be forced to penetrate at or near the innermost winding. Thus, the user has to try to fit the solid roll to the projection part such that it penetrates at or near the innermost winding. Furthermore, it is required that some force is applied for the penetration.
Another way to enable installation and holding in a dispenser of a coreless roll or a solid roll, respectively, is to adapt an existing dispenser for cored rolls for loading coreless or solid rolls, respectively, and/or to adapt coreless or solid rolls, respectively, to fit to such a dispenser.
One way, which is well-known in the art, of adapting a coreless or solid roll for installation and holding in a dispenser for cored rolls comprises creation of a depression in each vertical side of a coreless roll or a solid roll, respectively, at the time of production and provision of an adapter that fits both into the depression and to a mounting structure of the dispenser. A method of producing a depression in a vertical side of a roll is, for example, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,148.
WO 99/60909 discloses an adapter for converting a dispenser for a small cored roll into a dispenser for a small coreless roll. The adapter comprises a plunger arranged to extend from one of the sides of the dispenser and fit into a depression in a side of a coreless roll. Furthermore, the adapter comprises attachment means for securing the adapter to a core roll product dispenser. A depression is preferably provided in each side of the coreless roll at the time of production.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,664 discloses an adapter for small solid or coreless rolls of paper material, in which rolls there are recesses or divots defined in the vertical sides of the rolls. The adapter is to be placed in a dispenser for cored rolls, in which dispenser there are slots defined in the sides of the dispenser. The recesses, which should be formed at the time of production, define a rotating axis for the coreless or solid roll and a protrusion extending from the adapter is arranged to be pressed into one of the recesses. An engaging member may extend substantially transverse from the adapter and may be insertable into and slidable along the slots in the sides of the dispenser. A pair of adapters may engage and hold the roll therebetween within the dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,068 discloses an adapter for small solid or coreless rolls of paper material, in which rolls there are recesses or divots defined in the vertical sides of the rolls. The adapter is to be placed in a dispenser for cored rolls, in which dispenser there are slots defined in the sides of the dispenser. The adapter includes a carriage having opposite side members attached to a transverse support arm. A protrusion is formed on one side of each side member, which protrusion is intended to at least partially engage into the recess in a vertical side of the solid or coreless roll. A pin is disposed on the other side of each side member and is intended to engage in one of the slots in the sides of the dispenser.
However, in order to enable installation and holding of coreless or solid rolls, respectively, in a dispenser for cored rolls by use of the adapters according to WO 99/60909, U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,664 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,068, respectively, the rolls must be provided with a depression in each of their vertical sides. In use, the user has to fit those adapters, respectively, into both the depressions in the sides of the rolls and to the dispensers and ensure that reliable fitting is achieved to both the roll and the dispenser. Thus, some workload is then put on the user. Furthermore, the adapters according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,664 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,068, respectively, are only possible to use in dispensers having slots or the like defined in their side walls.
Another way, which is known in the art, of adapting a coreless roll having a central aperture for loading in a dispenser for cored rolls comprises utilization of an adapter that is intended to be inserted into the aperture and to be attached to such a dispenser.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,667 discloses a support spindle apparatus, which is intended to be inserted into the central aperture of a coreless toilet tissue roll to support the coreless roll in a toilet tissue dispenser cabinet of the type having opposed, elongated, generally vertically oriented guide slots. The support spindle apparatus comprises an elongated spindle body having a generally cruciform cross-section over most of its length. In use, the spindle apparatus is inserted into the aperture of a coreless roll such that one end is positioned outside the roll on one side of the roll and the other end is positioned outside the roll on the opposite side of the roll. Thereafter, one end of the spindle apparatus may be inserted into a slot at one side of a dispenser and the other end of the spindle apparatus may be inserted into a slot in the opposite side of the dispenser. The support spindle apparatus further comprises a roll stop element fixedly attached to the elongated spindle body to prevent movement of the roll relative to the spindle apparatus in a single direction.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,342 describes a roll spindle intended to be used in modification of a multi-roll dispenser normally used to dispense tissue from rolls of toilet tissue having centre cores to dispense tissue from coreless rolls. One spindle is inserted into each roll in the multi-roll dispenser. The spindle comprises a spindle shaft and a plurality of roll engagement elements rotatably journaled on the spindle shaft. Furthermore, the spindle has a tapered distal end and the spindle is inserted into a roll with the tapered end first. At the other end of the spindle, a mounting member is provided for affixing the spindle to the dispenser. During use, the coreless roll may be rotated around the spindle shaft by means of the rotatably journaled roll engagement members, whereas the spindle shaft is fixed in position, i.e. not rotated.
However, in order to enable installation and holding of coreless rolls in a dispenser for cored rolls by use of the spindles according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,667 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,342, respectively, the user has to fit those spindles, respectively, to the aperture of a coreless roll. Since the aperture in a coreless roll may have collapsed and assumed a deformed shape, as mentioned above, it might be tricky and time-consuming to fit such a spindle to the aperture and to avoid that windings of web-material are penetrated during insertion of such a spindle. Furthermore, the spindles according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,495,667 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,342, respectively, are only suited for rolls having a central aperture, such as coreless rolls, whereby they are not suited for solid rolls.
Furthermore, the spindle apparatus according to U.S. Pat. No. 5,868,342 may only be used in a special type of dispenser.
Therefore, there is still a need for a simple and reliable way of achieving the possibility to install and hold solid rolls of flexible web-shaped material in a dispenser such that flexible web-shaped material may be dispensed in a reliable and user-friendly way. Furthermore, there is a need for the possibility to achieve solid rolls of flexible web-shaped material that are adapted for enabling installation and holding in various types of dispensers that hold a roll in its central line. There is also a need for the possibility to achieve solid rolls that are adapted such that they are ready to be used in a dispenser at delivery, i.e. without the user having to add any adaptation parts.